Justice News

Arizona Man Sentenced To 168 Months In Prison For Conspiracy To Distribute Methamphetamine

DAVENPORT, IA – On February 14, 2014, Cesar Alexis Gonzalez, age 29, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Jarvey to 168 months imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Gonzalez was also ordered to serve eight years of supervised release following imprisonment and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.

Beginning in approximately November 2011 and continuing until about April 10, 2012, Gonzalez agreed, with co-defendant Tony Young, to distribute methamphetamine for profit. Gonzalez knowingly shipped “ice” (also known as “crystal”) methamphetamine from Yuma, Arizona to Young in Washington County, Iowa, in exchange for money, and Gonzalez knew that the purpose of providing the methamphetamine to Young was for Young and others to distribute it. Specifically, on March 20, 2012, Gonzalez received a parcel containing a large amount of U.S. currency that had been sent by co-defendant Young in Iowa. On March 21, 2012, Gonzalez shipped ice methamphetamine from Yuma, Arizona to Young in Iowa. The next day law enforcement in Iowa intercepted the parcel sent by Gonzalez. The parcel contained approximately 200 grams of ice methamphetamine. Portions of the ice methamphetamine sent to Young were distributed by Young, co-defendant Kurt Brookhart, and co-defendant Nahida Buchheit.

On October 16, 2012, Chief Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced Young to 135 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release following imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine.

On November 20, 2013, Judge Jarvey sentenced Kurt Brookhart to 110 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. On the same date, Judge Jarvey sentenced Buchheit to 68 months imprisonment and four years of supervised release following imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of actual methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Washington-Louisa County Drug Task Force, the Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the City of Yuma (Arizona) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa